How Painful Is Laser Hair Removal?

Laser hair removal is a popular treatment for permanent hair removal. People often ask about pain associated with laser hair removal. At Blue water Spa, patients describe laser hair removal as mildly uncomfortable. But not painful.

Laser hair removal pain or discomfort may vary significantly from person to person. The treatment area of laser hair removal definitely influences how comfortable or uncomfortable the treatment will be. Laser hair removal directly on bone, like the ankles for example are often the most sensitive. Surprisingly to many laser hair removal clients, the Brazilian bikini laser, including gential areas, perianal area vulva and testicles are not particularly painful. But, the mons pubis in a woman, or in a man the supra-pubic area is sometimes the most sensitive area of a bikini area laser hair removal treatment

Do Cooling gels help with pain from laser hair removal?

Cooling gelslaser hair removal

Another device for cooling the skin is an air cooler, often called a Zimmer cooler has it’s place in aesthetic medicine, but it is not the safest or most effective way to cool the skin and to prevent pain prior to laser hair removal.

What can reduce pain during laser hair removal?

The DCD or dynamic cooling device is the most important tool for cooling the skin and reducing pain. The first treatment will be the last comfortable simply because there is more hair the first session. With each subsequent treatment. There will be less hair, and therefore, a more comfortable treatments. A few tips that experienced laser hair removal providers share is to avoid overloading on caffeine before a laser hair removal treatment. Also, being hydrated and having adequate nutrition, especially potassium can help. So, some folks eat a banana prior to laser hair removal. Menstruation is not a contraindication for laser hair removal services, but some women are more sensitive during their menstrual cycle and therefore, some women elect to avoid laser hair removal while menstruating.

Do topical numbing creams, like lidocaine help reduce pain associated with laser hair removal?

There is a possibility that numbing creams could work. But when large areas areas of the body are treated, there can be a potential for lidocaine toxicity. So, although lidocaine creams can help with some treatments, like microneedling, lidocaine should be used sparingly and judiciously. At Blue Water Spa, our guests report being able to experience laser hair removal with minimal discomfort And, any discomfort is not lasting. It goes away immediately.

Is laser hair removal more painful than waxing?

Clients who have experienced waxing for hair removal, and then visit Blue Water Spa for laser hair removal unanimously report that laser hair removal is far more comfortable. It is also cleaner, faster, and safer. The best thing, of course when comparing laser hair removal to waxing is that laser hair removal with permanently disable, or weaken the root of the hair, meaning that the hair won’t grow back. There are so many concerns with waxing, including burning the skin, risk of creating pigmentation issues, possible infection and also the need to grow hair out. Without question, laser hair removal, when the right laser is used is a far superior option to waxing for hair removal

What about Electrolysis for Hair Removal vs Laser Hair Removal?

Hair removalelectrolysis

During electrolysis, a thin probe is inserted into each hair follicle to deliver an electric current, to disable or destroy the root of the hair. Electrolysis works by treating a single hair follicle at a time, making the process extremely time consuming and for some, more painful than laser hair removal. The issue of pain is in large part due to the fact that electrolysis takes so much longer to perform than laser hair removal. The pain of electrolysis is not lasting and typically tolerable when only small areas are treated. But the idea of treating a full face, underarms, bikini, legs, back or anything other than a few individual hairs would mean a lengthy and unpleasant experience for most.

Electrolysis certainly has a place in hair removal. For instance, folks who may have a few stubborn white or gray hairs on their chin or unwanted hair that is white or gray on their upper lip can be treated with electrolysis. Laser hair removal requires some pigmentation in the root of the hair, so that the pigmentation can absorb the laser energy. In white or gray hair, there is no pigmentation, so electrolysis can be an excellent adjunct

Ranking Hair Removal Methods in order of Pain

Shaving Shavingingrown hairs

Depilatory Creams
If one has no skin irritation ideally, depilatory creams should not cause pain. But the intense odor can create discomfort by virtue of the smell, and can even give some people headaches

Tweezing
Tweezing should have very limited discomfort as it is limited to a very few hairs at a time

Laser Hair Removal
In addition to being very tolerable from a discomfort perspective, laser hair removal with the right laser, administered by a laser hair removal technician who is well trained, laser hair removal will typically result in a hair free, area, or with most hair removed.

Electrolysis
Electrolysis is somewhat uncomfortable when administered for just a few stray hairs. But when administered to a larger area, the tedious procedure can be very uncomfortable

Waxing
Waxing is often extremely painful.Just google memes for waxing! And, the discomfort can last and can make the skin very sensitive. There are also significant possible side effects including burns or infection that can be both painful and dangerous

Epilators
Epilators are electric devices that pulled hair out by the root. These devices have, for obvious reasons fallen out of favor, with some people describing the pain of epilators as torturous.

The obvious “winner” when considering hair removal options is laser hair removal. But it is critical to find a laser center with multiple lasers so the appropriate laser is used for your skin tone and hair color